Family and Friends
by Beka Rhade
Summary: While investigating a teenage suicide Nick’s niece shows up claiming that her father is dead. He agrees to take care of her when his nephew who is in the Marines gets sent to Iraq. Chapter 4 now up.
1. Chapter 1

Let's see I own…nothing. It's that just the world's biggest surprise? It's not like you didn't know by now that I don't own Rhade, Nick, Bug, Legolas, Harper, Dylan (a.k.a. Hercules), Gill, Beka, William, Wesley, Greg, Trip, Archer, Kirk, Spock, Rommie, Doyle, Jordan, Luke, or Boe.

This is my first CSI fic. I usually write for Andromeda though I have been thinking about this one for a while. I only got to see a few shows before my grandma decided that I was too young to watch them even though I had been watching it on weekends for when I was at my moms for about two years. So most of my knowledge comes from other fics. Feel free to correct anything that you feel needs to be corrected. I'm not going write sex scenes, details about the investigation, or fight scenes due to lack of knowledge. Okay I might work in a little kissing and or closer stuff but it won't be too intense due in part to my bountiful knowledge and the limits on this sight though I do know one story that gets REALLY involved.

I know this probably isn't the best of ideas for a story but I actually thought of this before I Even knew about fanfcition. I came with similar stories for Star Trek TNG when I first saw it too.

Oh yeah here's my summary: While investigating a teenage suicide Nick's niece shows up claiming that her father is dead. He agrees to take care of her when his nephew who is n the Marines gets sent to Iraq.

Rating: PG-13 because I may add a few cuss words later, some interaction, and maybe some fighting if I can figure out how to write it. This is also basically because I have no clue how to decide a stories rating so I rate them all same. If at anytime I should change it let me know.

That's enough of my ranting I'll get on to my story.

**Family and Friends**

**Chapter 1: The Picture**

"Hey Nick you've got to see this," Greg called from the break room.

"See what?" Nick followed him in and looked around not seeing anything strange.

"This," Greg pointed to the bulletin board.

Nick walked over looking at the pictures and newspaper clippings. What caught his eye though was a pencil drawing. Taking a closer look he couldn't help but stare. It looked like a picture that was taken at his last family reunion. His niece was in front with himself, his nephew, and his brother behind her. "Who put this up?"

"No clue," Greg shrugged getting a cup of coffee. "I just noticed it when I came in this morning."

Nick took it down looking for any sign of who had drawn it. I he could find was a Star Trek like symbol in the bottom right hand corner. "Hey your into sci-fi do you recognize this?" He showed Greg the symbol.

"It looks like one I've seen before. I don't know where though."

"What's that?" Sarah asked walking into the break room.

"A picture," Nick showed it to her.

"Is that you?"

"I think it's one of the pictures they took a tour family reunion last year."

Sarah helped herself to some coffee. "And here I was thinking that you drew it."

"There's no way I could ever be that good."

"Who did it then?"

"Hey Nick what are you doing tonight?" Warrick asked joining them.

"Nothing yet," Nick replied. "Have you seen this before?"

"No who's it?"

"No clue," Greg answered.

"Probably belongs to that kid that was in here yesterday," Catherine said walking in.

"What kid?" Gill asked joining them and accepting the cup of coffee that Catherine offered.

"I caught one of the high schoolers in here yesterday. She claimed to have stopped to tie her shoe and gotten lost."

Gill took the picture and examined it closely. "That looks the symbol off of again," Sarah said.

"It's a web sight dedicated to Andromeda, CSI, and Star Trek," Greg answered. "One of the main writers uses the name Beka Rhade and that symbol."

"What do you know about this writer?" Nick asked taking the picture back.

"You can read the bio she put on the internet," Gill said.

"When did you get into sci-fi?" Greg asked.

"A few years ago," Gill shrugged. "Though I mainly read the CSI stories."

"You live that why do you want to read what other people think we do?" Catherine asked.

"Oh well," Nick shrugged as everyone turned to Gill. "I've got an interview in a few minutes," he carefully folded the drawing and stuck it in his back pocket before getting his own cup of coffee.

This is only the beginning and even if it doesn't sound all that interesting it might hopefully get better. So please review. I'm thinking about hooking Nick up with someone. Who should it be? Also feel free to e-mail me with any advice that you might have.


	2. Rebecca

Hello again and thanks for the rviews. I know this probably isn't my best fic but I've got a few better one planned. As always reviews are requested.

**Chapter 2 Rebecca**

Nick forgot about the picture until he took his wallet out of his pocket that night. He was just about read to fall asleep standing but curiosity go the best of him. Laying the drawing on the kitchen table he went and got the photo album from his last family reunion. The first picture he saw were the ones of his niece, Rebecca. She was a quite kid who would rather have been home on her computer. She'd actually sat through most of the reunion in one table in the park writing. It was only after Nick and her father, John, had started talking about the stuff he did as a CSI that she showed any sign of life. She'd asked him more questions than he even knew one person could think of. After that he'd talked her into joining everyone in the lake.

Pulling the picture over to him Nick compared it to the pictures in the photo album. The first difference he found was that his nephew was wearing a marine uniform in the drawing. In the original picture he was wearing a Cardinal's baseball cap and a pair of cut-off jeans. The second thing was that his niece had short hair and one of her Andromeda t-shirts on. In the original her hair was down to her shoulders and she was wearing a red tank top. Right behind his niece Nick's brother was wearing a denim jacket and jeans. Last of all in the hand drawn picture Nick was only wearing a pair of jeans. All through the reunion he'd worn shorts and a tank top

Suddenly the phone rang bringing Nick back to earth. He reached over picking it up stifling a yawn. "Nick here."

"Hey Nick are you busy?" Gill asked.

"I was trying to get some s-s-sleep," Nick yawned.

"Well you're needed on another case."

"Where is it?" Nick replied closing the album and folding the picture back up.

"9857 Major," Gill replied. "It's a rich neighborhood so Sarah will be working with."

"You'll call her right? S-s-she'd k-kill anyone else."

"Of course," Gill hung up.

Shoving his wallet back into his pocket Nick grabbed his jacket and his cell phone.

"It looks like a suicide," Sarah said as they took the boys body to the morgue.

"There's something wrong though," Nick replied. "Who we have as suspects?"

"Only about everyone in the high school and most of the neighborhood," Sarah replied putting her kit in the back of the SUV.

"Great, let's go back to the lab and see what they have on the body," Nick yawned. "Do you wan to drive? I'm too tired."

Sarah took the keys and got into the drivers seat. "You have to wait until we get there for some coffee."

"Wake me when we get there. They'd better be paying me double for this."

"Hey you aren't the only one who was supposed to be off tonight."

"S-s-sorry I-I f-forgot about that," Nick yawned again. "Any ideas on who did this?'

"It looks like suicide to me. The kid decided to try and fly without wings."

"Either that or he was on something. Grisom told me once that people committing suicide don't jump off with prescription glasses on. It took me weeks to get that roof dust off my clothes."

"Wasn't that when I first joined you guys?"

"Yeah, you showed up as Grisom was taking pictures of the guys I'd thrown off the roof."

Sarah didn't reply until they stopped at a red light. "That was an interesting first meeting."

"You could say that. I was hoping to forget it."

"Why?"

"Come on you know why." Nick replied as they started moving again.

"Because you were covered in that roof dust?"

"Among other things."

"Nick why don't you just say whatever it is?"

"When I figure it out I'll let you know. You did get statements from the people at the house right?"

"Of course. The parents had just gotten home and found the body. The neighbors naturally didn't see or hear a thing. They gave a whole list of people who might want to kill the boy though. Did you notice the scars on his right arm?"

"Injecting something?"

"It would make sense. The kid got high and either fell or jumped."

"Or was pushed. We can't rule that out yet."

"Right," Sarah parked the SUV and they got out and went inside.

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

As for who I'm going to hook Nick up with it will probably be Sarah or Catherine. I have a different story for Nick and Grag though I'm oing a little research on it.

Thanks Space-case 7029 and JEWELBABY for the reviews

This would have been longer but the gold card people leave in about a minute and I wanted to get this posted before we had to shut down the computers. Please review as always.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sacred Ground" is the ring tone on Nick's cell phone because I decided that he should like country music. So if in the show he doesn't like country I don't care because I missed that episode.

**Chapter 3-Interviews **

Nick grimaced as he looked down at the list Sarah handed him. "Great and all I wanted was to go home and get some sleep."

"Yeah right, is there any coffee left?" Sarah asked.

Nick handed her a cup, "how about starting with this Jordan? He might be able to tell us something."

"You're driving this time."

"Thanks."

"This is exactly why I work here," Greg said stopping in front of Nick and Sarah.

"Just get on with it," Sarah said glaring at him. "You have way too much energy."

"A couple cups of coffee are all I need."

"So we can see."

"Anyway have you seen Grisom?"

"He left ten minutes ago," Nick answered.

"Oh well I'll tell him tomorrow then," Greg walked back toward his office.

"Sometimes I really hate him," Sarah said downing the last of her coffee.

"Yeah, let's go before anyone else shows up," Nick picked up his jacket after throwing his empty cup in the trash can.

"Any one else with sense will be heading home to sleep about now."

"Yeah," Nick lead the way out of the building and got into the drivers side.

A short drive later they got out of the car in front of a blue house with a well kept yard. A dog ran around the corner as they climbed the steps to the porch.

"Hey what ya'll 'ere for?" A boy about fifteen asked coming around the corner. "Strike heel," he caught the dog's collar.

"I'm Nick Stokes and this is Sarah Sidle we're from the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

"Ya'll CSI people."

"Yes."

"Who died? You gonna arrest somebody?"

"That remains to be seen."

"Oh, who ya'll looking for?"

"Jordan Harvey."

"Come in I'll get 'im," the boy lead them inside never letting go of the dog. "HEY JO THE CSI'S HERE 'TA ARREST YA."

"TELL 'UM I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN," another voice called down the stairs.

"He'll be right down," the boy replied, "the living rooms over there. Make yourself at home and let me know when you arrest him," with that he turned pulling the dog back out of the front door.

"Right," Sarah looked around the living room that looked as if it a party had just finished.

-----------------------------------

"That was a waste of time," Nick said as they got back in the car.

"You can say that again," Sarah replied. "Of course they wouldn't know a thing."

"_We got married in high school had a baby when we turned eighteen _

_I bagged groceries in the daytime, at night I learned to fix tv's."_

Nick grabbed his cell phone cutting off the rest of the song, "Nick here."

"Yeah Mr. Stokes I think there's something you should see," a scared sounding female voice said.

Nick glanced at Sarah, who raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to him as he tilted the phone so that they could both hear it. "Who is this?"

"Tasha Harvey, I'm Marc's sister."

"What is it I need to see?"

"I just came home and went to the basement and I saw him. I didn't do anything honest. I know I wasn't supposed to be home but he just lying there," Tasha started sounding scared.

"Tasha calm down," Nick said trying to sound calm himself as he started the car . "Sarah and I are one our way. I want you sit on wait by the curb."

"You're coming?"

"Yes are your parents there?"

"No."

"All right just go and wait outside for us."

"Thank you I didn't know who else to ask."

"It's all right," Nick hung up his cell phone as they started down the road.

"I think she found another body," Sarah said.

"It sounds like that. This one may help us thought."

**WHEN YOU CRY BE SURE TO DRY YOUR EYES 'CAUSE BETTER DAYS ARE SURE TO COME**

Okay I just wanted to finish this real quick and update. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Let me know if I should keep this up or scrap it. I have another story planned that goes along similar lines but it involves Gill having a daughter. I'm still working on that one though and a few others.

Let me know of any websites that you know of that I can use to gather information the characters of CSI or where I can get some transcripts. Also if you can tell me how old everyone is supposed to be it will be helpful.


	4. Injury

Hello I finally got this done through my Creative Writing that I'm supposed to be doing. Oh well as long as I have an B I won't get grounded so I'm fine.

I couldn't think of any good names so Jared Powell happens to be named after this dude who is really annoying and asked me out about five times last year and the principle at my school.

**Chapter 4-Injury **

Nick parked the car in front of the house where a girl about nineteen was pacing the curb. She jumped as he and Sarah got out and almost ran away.

"Hey calm down," Nick said grabbing her shoulder.

"I didn't so anything! I just found him like that."

"It's okay," Sarah said. "Who did you find?"

"Bill, he's in the basement."

"Stay here," Nick headed toward the house ducking under the yellow tape that stretched across the doorway. Automatically he drew his gun before he started toward the kitchen were the stairs were that lead to the basement. He jumped as footsteps sounded behind him. Whirling around he found Sarah with her gun also drawn.

"You're supposed to stay outside," Nick hissed.

"You don't think I'd let you come in alone did you?" Sarah asked. "Brass is on his way and a local officer is with the girl."

"Go back out. We don't know if it's safe."

"Which is exactly why I'm not about to let you go in alone. Beside you know Brass is supposed to come in first."

"Sarah please get out of here."

"Like hell Nick. You can't go in there alone."

"Sarah there is no need to risk you."

"There's no need to risk you either. Now either get moving or I'll go first."

"I'll go to hell first. If I say run you'd better run like hell."

"Fine."

Nick didn't believe her but he already knew he had broken at least three of the rules by coming in here. He also knew that he could argue with her until the cows came home and she would still win. He raised his gun again and started toward the kitchen.

Everything in the house was eerily silent but they made it to the stairs without meeting any kind of resistance. After glancing back at Sarah and receiving a 'like hell you'll leave me behind' look he frowned and slowly pushed the door open. An overwhelming stench greeted them. Raising one arm to cover his mouth and nose he slowly started down the stairs. At the bottom of the steps he turned and survived the basement.

It was as clean and spotless as the first time he had come down here. The only difference was that a closet toward the back was open part way. The door that led to the back yard appeared to be locked and the curtain was drawn.

Sarah tapped him on the shoulder and pointed with her gun toward the closet door. Nick nodded and they started to move toward it slowly. Reaching it he stepped to one side so that he could look in. With a gulp he stepped back. Since it was too dark to see anything diffident he hoped he was wrong and used he foot to nudge open the door.

As it turned out he was right. Nick jumped back stopping next to Sarah as a boy about fourteen fell forward. Going straight through his neck was a blue arrow. As he fell forward with a thump his weight caused the arrow to slide through his neck until only the feathers were left on his front side.

A commotion to their left caused both Nick and Sarah to look toward the door that led to the back yard raising their guns. A man came through the door and was half way toward them before he noticed that they were there. A gun appeared in the man's right hand and he raised it to about chest height.

"Who are you?" The man asked taking a step backwards.

"We're with the Crime Lab," Nick said. "Lower your gun and you won't get hurt."

"Like hell I know your type," he shifted his gun slightly.

Nick stepped sidewise so that he blocked Sarah if the man decided to shoot. "Clam down and lower your gun. There is nothing you can do."

"You wanna bet little man? Do you think your pretty boy cops can stop me? I'm better then that. Now which one of you wants to die first?"

"Did you come back for the boy's body?"

"Which one? The one I shoved off the roof to that one?" The man pointed to the boy on the floor. "Any last wishes before you meet your maker?"

Nick felt Sarah pulling on his waistband and took a small step backwards. If he could keep the man talking there might be a chance to at least get Sarah out of here. "Why did you do it?" Another step, "what did those boys do to you?"

"Their alive. That's what they did," another step. "Those little brats wouldn't let me be. They were always in my way. They deserved what they got," Nick and Sarah kept moving backwards inch by inch as a crazy grin spread across the man's face. "Do you want to know how I did it before you die? I took that pretty bow of his and held it to his throat. He begged me not to. He begged me to let him live. He promised, no he swore, that he wouldn't tell anyone but I knew better. He saw it so I had to get rid of him."

"What he see you do?" Nick paused as the man took a step forward. He could feel Sarah's breath on the back of his neck and the tension in her hand that held his belt.

"He saw me shove the boy off. He was going to tell them so that he would get the money and not me. I'm going to get it though. I've already got the rest of the family," the man took another step forward and the grin grew even more wild and crazy.

"And did you kill them also?" Nick and Sarah started stepping back slowly again.

"Yes, since your about to die I think I'll tell you about everyone else. It's not like you'll be telling anyone. First I took his mom and shoved a knife in her gut. She squealed like a stuck pig. Then his father, the bastered who couldn't even bother to loan me ten dollars. I bashed him with that precious bat of his. He begged me to stop swearing to pay me whatever I want. He could never match the amount their paying me though. I got tired of hearing his voice so I whacked him in the head a few times he cocked it."

"Who's paying you?" Nick tried to sound calm despite the fact that a madman with a gun who had just admitted to at least four murders was closing the distance between them faster then he and Sarah were backing up.

"Why should I tell you? You have no need to know."

"You're about to kill us so why not?"

The man paused and let out a deep bark of laughter. "You're right there pretty boy. Only Las Vegas's best, Jared Powell, is paying me. He wanted them gone and now they are."

Nick gulped. If they did make it out of here it would be hell with Powell as the one who had masterminded the killing of an entire family and at least one other. They would have a hell of a time getting anyone to believe the confession of this madman. Powell's lawyers would undoubtedly get the confession thrown out because of that.

"Now you and you girlfriend will join them."

Nick felt Sarah stiffen behind him as she always did when someone said that.

"Do you have any last wishes? I'll do my best to see that it is carried. He," the man gestured to the boy who was now behind him, "wanted me to make sure his sister got the hundred dollars she needed to graduate. I already took care of that. Marc wanted me to tell his mother that he loved her. I would have done that except that I'd already killed her. His mother wanted me to tell her precious son that she loved him. I did that. The father of course wanted me to spare the mother and Marc. I couldn't do that though so I asked him for his second wish, and do you know what that was? He wanted a coke."

"So you've killed the whole family?" They were almost to the steps now but the man had started taking bigger steps toward them.

"Yes, every last one of those thieving bastered's. Their all gone."

"What makes you so sure that there are no others?"

"I know there aren't."

"Is it not possible that you missed one or two of them?" They had reached the steps now. "Run now," he whispered as quietly as he could, "don't argue, run."

"What did you say? Are you telling your girlfriend that you love her? That would be smart since your both going to die."

Sarah stiffened but brushed her hand against Nick's back before inching away form him.

"Where are you going Girl?" The man stopped now only a few feet away from Nick. He raised the gun pointing it at Sarah.

"Sarah run," Nick yelled throwing himself at the man. The gun echoed in the basement as the bullet caught him in the shoulder. He kept going forward though and caught the man in the chest using one hand to knock the gun out of his hand. They both tumbled to the floor with a thud and the man tried to push him away. Nick weighed more than him though and couldn't be pushed away that easily. Struggling through the pain that laced through his shoulder and arm Nick pushed himself up and pulling his uninjured arm back he slammed it into the man's face forgetting everything except that the this man would have killed Sarah.

"Nick, Nick calm down," someone called. Strong hands pulled him back causing the pain in his arm to increase. He wasn't sure if he screamed or not before everything went black.

**EVERY TIME I SEE A WOMAN ON A BILLBOARD SIGN SAYING DRINK THIS BEAR AND YOU'LL BE MINE I THINK ABOUT YOU**

Okay, I've got to go before my Creative Writing teacher starts to wonder why it's taking me so long to print out my Ballad (which is really crappy but I won't go there). Rebecca and Nick's brother will show in a couple chapters. Nick has to go back to work before they met though which I think due to the fact that it was a glancing shot that Nick took should be about two months.

Rebecca visits the lab on a trip with a summer school program. I don't know if that's possible but…I'll just do it my way and you can give opinions if you want.

Please review by the way so Ill have something to help me throuh the grades that are coming out next week.


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